1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to dynamic image processing technologies and, more particularly, to a dynamic image processing system and method employing an interactive particle system comprising virtual image processing elements, or paintbrushes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image processing systems provide tools for generating images, as well as for altering the appearance of pre-existing images. Typically, such systems allow a user to specify various effects and parameters, which are then applied to an image by a computer running image processing software. The processed image is often a distortion of an original image resulting from the application of user-specified effects and parameters. Such systems are generally used to enhance the artistic appeal of images. One typical effect is to simulate an impressionist painting style by using an ordered collection of paintbrush strokes to approximate the original image, as described in P. Haeberli, "Paint By Numbers: Abstract Image Representations", in Computer Graphics, vol. 24, no. 4, August 1990, pp. 207-14, incorporated herein by reference.
It is desirable to provide image processing effects for moving images. Such effects could be used to generate moving images, or to transform existing moving images found in source video or film. Source video and film, however, are inherently noisy and typically contain temporal discontinuities and sudden changes. Application of conventional image processing techniques to motion video and film tends to amplify noise. As a result of noise amplification and the sensitivity of image processing effects to the temporal discontinuities, many graphic effects used in conventional image processing produce undesirable results when applied to moving images.